“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a police badge, no lights, no nothing – just a police badge and they pulled us over”. It is now up to prosecutors to decide what is next.
Advertisement
Sen. Marco Rubio’s office has contacted the Brazilian Embassy in Washington over the investigation into claims Ryan Lochte and three other US swimmers were robbed in Rio de Janeiro. The alleged incident put Olympic teams from across the globe on alert, with tightened curfews and fresh suggestions that competitors avoid areas of Rio where they could be targets.
Investigators said as they looked further into the tale, it began to fall apart. “I was like whatever”, Lochte said.
The country’s Tourism Police requested a warrant late Wednesday to seize Conger and Bentz’s passports amid uncertainty over what truly took place during a late outing the night Olympic swimming wrapped up at the Games, Rio police confirmed to Brazil’s OGlobo. Security footage from inside the station shows the swimmers vandalizing the bathroom.
A police official with knowledge of the investigation told the AP that police can not find the taxi driver or any witnesses.
Ostrow said the video doesn’t show a complete picture of what happened, especially considering there is no audio.
Citing the owner of the gas station, a Brazilian newspaper reported the men threw stones at the business and tore one of its signs. “Lochte told NBC News” Matt Lauer Wednesday night that the swimmers used a restroom at a gas station and when they got back to their taxi, the driver didn’t move.
This past Monday, outlets reported that members of the U.S. olympic swim team had been robbed by gun point in Rio de Janeiro.
Reached Thursday in Austin, Texas, Feigen attorney Mark Hull said: “We don’t have any comment yet at this point”.
Since he has returned to the United States while his three younger teammates twist in the wind in Rio, Lochte has found time to tweet about turning his greenish-gray hair back to its original color and send a silly photo of himself to a friend to celebrate a birthday. Mr Lochte returned to the U.S. on Monday. Bentz and Conger were detained by Brazilian authorities last night while attempting to fly out of Brazil. He was planning on leaving and he left.
“I don’t know what they’re trying to do down there. We have always been fully cooperating”. They have have been told they can not leave Brazil until they are questioned. The witness also reported that the manager was called about a confusion with money. He said one man pointed a gun to his forehead and ordered him to get down. By the time he was done with the retelling, the fake cops and the gun pointed at his head were gone, and the scene of the crime was a gas station instead of a taxi.
Another confusing detail for police was the fact that the attackers didn’t take any of the men’s cellphones – which are hot commodities on the Rio black market. The police official said officers grew suspicious when they reviewed security video of the swimmers returning to the athletes village and saw them wearing watches, which would have likely been taken in a robbery.
The White House has referred the USA swimmers’ matter to the State Department, a spokesperson said. The change in the version of events came after police interviewed one of the security guards on Thursday. Anderson Valentim said. “People with bad characters are not welcome”. A security guard appeared and confronted them.
Advertisement
“This kind of crime will not lead to their arrest”, Veloso added, saying the four athletes owe an apology to Rio residents.
